The rain got heavier, and Rishi Sunak's bespoke suit became the focus of attention. I presumed that he'd just fired the starting gun on what would be one of Gravesham's most closely fought elections in recent history. According to the polls, Gravesham would have a new Member of Parliament for the first time in 14 years. The polls were correct; we have a new MP, but it wasn't the battle I expected.

Gravesend residents gathered outside the Civic Centre in Gravesend, objecting to the proposed opening of a home for unaccompanied asylum-seeking (UAS) children.

Edward Moore House was a former care home bought by Kent County Council (KCC) and is currently being redeveloped.

On Thursday evening, the City Praise Centre in Gravesend hosted the only hustings in Gravesham for the 2024 general election.

The candidates gave an opening statement and then had 90 seconds each to answer various questions on topics ranging from ethics in public office and transgender policy in schools to social care and the persecution of religious groups.

On Saturday, 1st June, anyone with a camera (or a phone) was invited to take part in Gravesham’s first Day in the Life shoot, part of the Gravesham Fringe Festival.

The aim is to make it an annual event documenting the changes in the borough from year to year.

I took portraits of shopkeepers in some of Gravesend’s small shops.

One of my favourite buildings in Gravesend is the Borough Council Civic Centre and Woodville Theatre.

Designed by renowned architect Henry Thomas Cadbury-Brown construction started in 1964, and the building was opened on 15th November 1968.

The theatrical ‘get-in’ is a bit like moving house. You arrive at your new home early in the morning with all your worldly possessions piled in the back of a van.

There’s furniture to be unloaded, lights to be put up, and the sound system to be installed. Inevitably, something doesn’t quite fit and you don’t know where the kettle is.

A bike shop has traded from this site in Windmill Street for some 60 years. However, at the end of November Tri The Bike Shop will put up its shutters for the last time.

I spent the morning with manager Leo Brown (not shown), Stuart Britten and James Medhurst.

Some images from Gravesend’s Vaisakhi celebration. This annual celebration of the spring harvest in Northern India is centred around the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurdwara.

Tony and Vicki Harris have been on a journey that would change their lives, seeing Tony giving away all their money and most of his clothes. It would lead them to start a group that would feed up to 50 people, six nights a week, during the height of the pandemic.

Are you looking forward to pubs reopening? Here’s what is hoped will happen.

On April 12 - Restaurants and pub gardens will be allowed to serve customers sitting outdoors - including alcohol.

We’re told we are a living through the strangest of times. Yet, it’s surprising how quickly sights that a few months ago would have seemed entirely alien become ordinary.

At some point, these things will become history, so it seems only fitting to record some of them.

This production of Rapunzel could be just another casualty of a dreadful pandemic that continues to kill thousands worldwide. Maybe it’s nothing more than that.

The Darnley Pharmacy now dispenses prescriptions from a window. This saves patients needing to enter the shop, reducing the risk to them and the staff.

The Railway Tavern opened in 1881 and was tied to the Meux’s Brewery, it still features the original Meux glazed tiles. After 129 years of trading, it closed in 2010 and then reopened in 2011 as D-Ream. D-Ream lasted just over a year, closing in October 2012.

“Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, come to the community and share the gospel”. I’m sitting in the small very busy office at Sanctuary, the night shelter for the homeless in Gravesend, talking to Steve Nolan. Steve and his wife Lorna are the unpaid Project Managers for Sanctuary.

I’m not sure what I expected but it wasn’t this.

Steve Nolan is showing me around Sanctuary, a night shelter for the homeless. He and his wife Lorna are the full-time Project Managers for the shelter.

It's such a great feeling to have finally started my personal project about my home town, Gravesend, Kent. Yesterday I had the privilege of shooting and interviewing Genevieve 'Genny' Jones, an inspirational woman and one of the real life-bloods of our community. If there's a community event in Gravesend it's likely somewhere behind it will be Genny Jones - The Confident Queen.